The Start of Something Great!!!!

I completed a goal that I have for the year, which is to visit a new city. For two nights, three days, I packed my bag and drove 5 hours on I-95 South to Savannah, GA. Savannah has been on my bucket list for a couple of years and I thought I wanted the trip to be a girls’ trip, but the stress was becoming unbearable and I needed an escape before I boiled over.

One would think since I’m a travel advisor I would have an itinerary set of restaurants, activities, and “must-sees”, but I actually got on the road with nothing scheduled but where I would lay my head. And even that was last minute since it was spring break, everything was priced higher than normal. But that Friday, I dropped my dog off at my parents, filled up the tank, grabbed my snacks, and cruised down I-95. As I belted out Toni Braxton’s lyrics, I was interrupted. I was about 45 minutes out from my hotel when GPS told me to take US 17 because I-95 was beginning to get congested. It would put me at the destination bout the same time so I took the detour. To my surprise on the detour, I pass a “mom and pop” restaurant. It intrigued me because most places you look up will describe the cuisine as “southern” but never “soul”. If you know, you know. Right there on the signage “Seafood and Soul Food”. I made a note, did a quick Google search, and called the restaurant to see if they would be open on Sunday as I wanted to get to Savannah and didn’t want to stop. The lady that answered said they are closed on Sundays and will be closing for the day in the next hour. So here I am making a u-turn at the next intersection to make it before closing. Going to a place at the “end of the day” does have its drawbacks, as some of the items were sold out, but the meal I was able to enjoy filled my soul to make it further down the road to my destination.

Larry and Ella’s Seafood and Soul Food in Hardeesville, SC

I arrive at my hotel and proceed to check in even though I did the electronic check-in with the digital key, I always want to talk to the front desk. As I’m giving the young lady my information and she proceeds to tell me because I am a Diamond Member that I’ve upgraded to a hospitality suite and there is only one within the hotel. Oh, now I’m feeling like a million bucks, and the high price for the original room is now worth it with this free upgrade. The downfall of the upgrade…I’m traveling solo so I’m entertaining no one with the in-suite bar and large living room. I still took full advantage of the extra space. Do you have a rewards credit card? If so, you might want to see what kind of perks you could be utilizing for your next vacation.

I thought about going out that evening to watch a game or two but my body was calling for me to rest my body and I did not argue with her. I called it a night but not before Googling a couple of breakfast spots for the morning. If you know me, you know one of my favorite cities is NOLA, so when I saw that this restaurant had a “NOLA” flare, I knew exactly where I was going…..

Tune in next week for day two.